diff --git a/src/ldaptool/_main.py b/src/ldaptool/_main.py
index 60f081e..4b396c0 100644
--- a/src/ldaptool/_main.py
+++ b/src/ldaptool/_main.py
@@ -42,19 +42,27 @@ class Arguments(search.Arguments):
             help="Markdown table output - requires list of attributes",
         ),
     )
-    table_output: typing.Optional[TableOutput] = None
     html: bool = dataclasses.field(
         default=False,
         metadata=argclasses.arg(
             help="HTML table output - requires list of attributes",
         ),
     )
+    table_output: typing.Optional[TableOutput] = None
     sort: bool = dataclasses.field(
         default=False,
         metadata=argclasses.arg(
             help="Sorted table output - defaults to markdown --table unless --csv is given",
         ),
     )
+    json: bool = dataclasses.field(
+        default=False,
+        metadata=argclasses.arg(help="Use full json output"),
+    )
+    human: bool = dataclasses.field(
+        default=False,
+        metadata=argclasses.arg(help="Use simple json output (join multiple values of one attribute)"),
+    )
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         super(Arguments, self).__post_init__()  # super() not working here, unclear why.
@@ -141,7 +149,7 @@ class _Context:
                     continue
                 # normal entry
                 assert not isinstance(entry, list)
-                obj = decoder.human(dn=dn, entry=decoder.read(dn=dn, entry=entry))
+                obj = decoder.human(dn=dn, obj=decoder.read(dn=dn, entry=entry))
                 yield tuple(obj.get(key, "") for key in column_keys)
         except SizeLimitExceeded as e:
             raise SystemExit(f"Error: {e}")
@@ -201,8 +209,13 @@ class _Context:
                 # normal entry
                 assert not isinstance(entry, list)
                 num_entries += 1
-                obj = decoder.read(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-                decoder.emit(dn=dn, entry=obj)
+                if ldif_output:
+                    decoder.read_and_emit_ldif(dn=dn, entry=entry, file=stream)
+                elif self.arguments.human:
+                    decoder.read_and_emit_human(dn=dn, entry=entry, file=stream)
+                else:
+                    assert self.arguments.json
+                    decoder.read_and_emit_json(dn=dn, entry=entry, file=stream)
         except SizeLimitExceeded as e:
             raise SystemExit(f"Error: {e}")
 
diff --git a/src/ldaptool/decode/_decoder.py b/src/ldaptool/decode/_decoder.py
index 128036b..031ccf8 100644
--- a/src/ldaptool/decode/_decoder.py
+++ b/src/ldaptool/decode/_decoder.py
@@ -122,16 +122,16 @@ class Attribute:
     def _base64_value(self) -> str:
         return base64.b64encode(self.raw).decode("ascii")
 
-    def print(self) -> None:
+    def print(self, *, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
         if not self.decoded is None:
             comment = self.utf8_clean
             if comment is None:
                 comment = self._base64_value
-            print(f"{self.name}: {self.decoded}  # {comment}")
+            print(f"{self.name}: {self.decoded}  # {comment}", file=file)
         elif not self.utf8_clean is None:
-            print(f"{self.name}: {self.utf8_clean}")
+            print(f"{self.name}: {self.utf8_clean}", file=file)
         else:
-            print(f"{self.name}:: {self._base64_value}")
+            print(f"{self.name}:: {self._base64_value}", file=file)
 
     def to_json(self) -> dict[str, typing.Any]:
         item: dict[str, typing.Any] = {}
@@ -191,39 +191,40 @@ class Decoder:
                 ]
         return decoded_entry
 
-    def human(self, *, dn: str, entry: TDecoded) -> dict[str, str]:
+    def human(self, *, dn: str, obj: TDecoded) -> dict[str, str]:
         emit: dict[str, typing.Any] = dict(dn=dn)
-        for name, attrs in entry.items():
+        for name, attrs in obj.items():
             emit[name] = self.arguments.human_separator.join(attr.human() for attr in attrs)
         return emit
 
-    def json(self, *, dn: str, entry: TDecoded) -> dict[str, str]:
+    def emit_human(self, *, dn: str, obj: TDecoded, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        emit = self.human(dn=dn, obj=obj)
+        json.dump(emit, file, ensure_ascii=False)
+        print(file=file)  # terminate output dicts by newline
+
+    def read_and_emit_human(self, *, dn: str, entry: TEntry, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        self.emit_human(dn=dn, obj=self.read(dn=dn, entry=entry), file=file)
+
+    def json(self, *, dn: str, obj: TDecoded) -> dict[str, str]:
         emit: dict[str, typing.Any] = dict(dn=dn)
-        for name, attrs in entry.items():
+        for name, attrs in obj.items():
             emit[name] = [attr.to_json() for attr in attrs]
         return emit
 
-    def _emit_json(self, *, dn: str, entry: TDecoded) -> None:
-        if self.arguments.human:
-            emit = self.human(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-        else:
-            emit = self.json(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-        json.dump(emit, sys.stdout, ensure_ascii=False)
-        print()  # terminate output dicts by newline
+    def emit_json(self, *, dn: str, obj: TDecoded, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        emit = self.json(dn=dn, obj=obj)
+        json.dump(emit, file, ensure_ascii=False)
+        print(file=file)  # terminate output dicts by newline
 
-    def _emit_ldif(self, *, dn: str, entry: TDecoded) -> None:
-        print(f"dn: {dn}")
-        for attrs in entry.values():
+    def read_and_emit_json(self, *, dn: str, entry: TEntry, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        self.emit_json(dn=dn, obj=self.read(dn=dn, entry=entry), file=file)
+
+    def emit_ldif(self, *, dn: str, obj: TDecoded, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        print(f"dn: {dn}", file=file)
+        for attrs in obj.values():
             for attr in attrs:
-                attr.print()
-        print()  # separate entries with newlines
+                attr.print(file=file)
+        print(file=file)  # separate entries with newlines
 
-    def emit(self, *, dn: str, entry: TDecoded) -> None:
-        if self.arguments.human or self.arguments.json:
-            self._emit_json(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-        else:
-            self._emit_ldif(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-
-    def handle(self, *, dn: str, entry: TEntry) -> None:
-        entry_attrs = self.read(dn=dn, entry=entry)
-        self.emit(dn=dn, entry=entry_attrs)
+    def read_and_emit_ldif(self, *, dn: str, entry: TEntry, file: typing.IO[str] = sys.stdout) -> None:
+        self.emit_ldif(dn=dn, obj=self.read(dn=dn, entry=entry), file=file)
diff --git a/src/ldaptool/decode/arguments.py b/src/ldaptool/decode/arguments.py
index c4ea92e..524c691 100644
--- a/src/ldaptool/decode/arguments.py
+++ b/src/ldaptool/decode/arguments.py
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ class Arguments(argclasses.BaseArguments):
     columns: list[str] = dataclasses.field(default_factory=list, metadata=argclasses.manual(_parser_add_attributes))
     attributes: list[str] = dataclasses.field(default_factory=list)
 
-    json: bool = dataclasses.field(
-        default=False,
-        metadata=argclasses.arg(help="Use full json output"),
-    )
-    human: bool = dataclasses.field(
-        default=False,
-        metadata=argclasses.arg(help="Use simple json output (join multiple values of one attribute)"),
-    )
     human_separator: str = dataclasses.field(
         default=", ",
         metadata=argclasses.arg(help="Separator to join multiple values of one attribute with (default: %(default)r)"),